Since 1985, the lawyers at Shapiro & Appleton have dedicated their practice to helping people when they need it most. Our clients are usually down and out after a serious accident, struggling financially, physically, and emotionally. We take pride in advocating for the downtrodden and injured and getting the financial restitution they are owed.

One of the most effective ways to choose a top-notch attorney is by reviewing their professional accolades and awards. Independent, third-party organizations bestow these recognitions and distinctions and symbolize a level of excellence in the profession.

We are very proud of the success we have had in obtaining large settlements, arbitration awards, judgments, and jury verdicts. Our success is based mainly on our experience in courtrooms across Virginia.

Featuring breaking news stories in Virginia, North Caroling and nationwide. Our news stories about accidents, events, injuries, and lawsuits are researched and published by our team of experienced personal injury attorneys and could help you learn more about your personal injury case.

One of the best ways to gauge the quality of a personal injury law firm is the feedback from prior clients. The reviews and testimonials on this page are authentic and unfiltered. We are proud to have served so many people who needed help during a difficult time.

By adapting and being familiar with not only Virginia and North Carolina Courts, but also Courts throughout the Eastern United States, our attorneys have developed a set of skills that can be incredibly useful in every sort of significant personal injury case.

The attorneys with our firm actively engage in continuing legal education seminars in the field of injury law. Our lawyers have also regularly delivered lectures to personal injury lawyers not only in Virginia but at national trial organizations.

To stay on the leading edge of personal injury law, all of the firm's attorneys are active in local, state, and national personal injury trial law organizations. We also retain the services of forensic animators, videographers, and computer specialists to produce compelling evidence that will persuade a jury to award maximum damages.

Suffolk Police and Fire & Rescue responded to the scene and found the motorcycle rider with severe injuries. He died after being taken by ambulance to a local hospital. Later news reports identified the man who lost his life as 67-year-old Steven Louis Decker. He had lived in Hayes and worked for decades as the news chopper pilot for WAVY-TV 10.

Three days following the fatal wreck, no charges have been filed against the driver of the car and no official explanation of how the crash happened has been released to the public. A news photo of the aftermath of the crash (shown here) shows the car resting in the cut-through of the median on Carolina Road, having apparently tried to enter the southbound lanes of the highway from the airport. A long, single skid mark appears on the pavement, suggesting that the motorcycle rider tried to brake suddenly in order to avoid hitting the car.

No traffic lights, stop signs or yield signs control the entrance and exit from the airport. This means that a driver trying to get onto Carolina Road must comply with section 46.2-863 of the Virginia Code, which states, “A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who fails to bring his vehicle to a stop immediately before entering a highway from a side road when there is traffic approaching on such highway within 500 feet of such point of entrance.”

Failing to yield right of way to motorcycles while turning, changing lane or entering a highway is a leading cause of traffic fatalities -- and a problem seems to be growing. In response, government agencies at all levels and numerous private organizations launched the Share the Road program to protect motorcycle riders from reckless, negligent and distracted drivers. As one component of that, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration issued this list of “tips to drivers on how to prevent a fatal crash with a motorcycle”:

Though a motorcycle is a small vehicle, its operator still has all the rights of the road as any other motorist. Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.

Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.

If you see a motorcycle with a signal on, be careful: motorcycle signals are often non-canceling and could have been forgotten. Always ensure that the motorcycle is turning before proceeding.

Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.

Always allow more follow distance – three to four seconds – when behind a motorcycle. This gives them more time to maneuver or stop in an emergency.

Never drive distracted or impaired.

My Virginia wrongful death attorney colleagues ask all drivers to study this list and put all the lifesaving advice into practice. Regardless of what happened near the Suffolk Executive Airport on Carolina Road, watching out for and yield right of way to motorcycle riders will prevent many tragedies.